Q&A with Carinity CIO Simon Hartfiel

The Information Communications Technology team are constantly improving Carinity’s systems to provide better processes for aged care, home care, retirement, education, youth and communities services. Simon Hartfiel, Carinity’s Chief Information Officer leads this team. He answers a few questions about his role and the exciting innovations coming in the next year.

1. When did you start with Carinity and what brought you here?

I started with Carinity in June 2014. Carinity has a vision of providing high-quality care and services to make a real difference in people’s lives. Technology and information are playing an ever-increasing role in supporting the organisation deliver on this mission. I joined Carinity, as the first CIO, to help shape the role technology will play in delivering on this outcome into the future.

2. Can you explain your role in the simplest of terms?

The role of Chief Information Officer is primarily the executive representative for strategy and the operational role technology, information management plays in assisting Carinity deliver on its business outcomes. My team and I need to work out how the different pieces of sometimes complex business problems can be put together through technology to make the delivery of services easier for frontline staff and hopefully engaging and enjoyable for the variety of clients Carinity serves.

3. What things are you excited about working on in the next 12 months?

We are looking at introducing and rolling out mobile technologies to some of our clients for the first time. This is quite exciting, as these technologies will help improve the ability for Carinity’s staff to maintain contact and communication with clients. This technology will also provide a mechanism for clients to maintain relationships with family and friends – reducing the potential isolation which so often occurs when losing mobility or move out of their community into a different care community.

We are also looking at mobility in general and how we can equip our staff with technology that enables them to spend more time delivering services and less time having to go and interact with technology.

4. If you weren’t working in IT, what would you be doing?

Being an Engineer by trade, I have always loved designing, and building things – so if I was not working in IT, I imagine it would still be doing something that involved designing and building things.

5. If you could invite three people to dinner, dead or alive who would they be and why?

Abraham Lincoln – able to lead a country during a time of great upheaval and delivered significant social changes like the Emancipation Proclamation.

Leonardo da Vinci – the quintessential inventor and engineer.

Aristotle – a problem solver of his time.

6. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Be considerate of others and don’t burn bridges as you go through life – one day you may need to call on others for help or support. And most of all - enjoy life.

7. Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of work?

Outside of work, when not doing something with one of my four children, I am an avid woodworker and build furniture.

8. Something you might not know about me is that…

I lived in the United States for almost ten years and during that time lived at the base of Mount St. Helens, an active volcano.